The Rusted Ronin
by Geosin
Summary: Down on his luck after yet another failed relationship. Larry decides to finally take control of his life and do something he is really passionate about, determined to change himself and his circumstances to something better. He goes on to create and write for a new entry and a dead franchise to hopefully end up in a better place than he started.


**Hello my dear readers, here we are with a new story in a new fandom I haven't gone into before. Here is a story that's been floating around my mind for a while and I hope you all like it. As always I appreciate all your reviews and messages and any feedback at all really to make my writing better.**

Larry Butz let out a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling fan of his apartment, having ended up at the end of that same cycle that always plagued him. Get a low paying job, get a model for a girlfriend, live like he is the king of the world and pours his heart into the girl only for her to hate him at the end of it all and he ended up here. Staring up at his ceiling fan in the middle of the night wondering where he went wrong well... He was tired of this life damnit! He wanted an escape from the eternal cycle of calamity that was his life! Sitting up from his meager futon, Larry scanned the room around him for the few bits of decor he had, a few things he had made himself when he was younger. His eyes soon fell upon a statue in the shape of The Thinker and his heart throbbed slightly remembering Cindy, the one girl who seemed to have some form of genuine care for him romantically in all of his life. Next, his eyes went to the picture book he had managed to write and chuckled at the title "Franzy's Whippity-Whip Trip." The young man was grateful that the book had managed to take off in popularity, as the royalties he got from it were all that kept him in his apartment for now. His eyes then continued to scan around his apartment, landing on the various bits of art he had made over the years before he realized something, every happy moment in his adult life had been connected to his art in some way... Maybe he should try to use that somehow?

After coming to that short realization, the brown-haired man stood from his meager bedding and started to wander around his apartment mumbling to himself what he could possibly do in the art world with his life right now. He didn't have a degree in the stuff like Nick and could not afford to put himself through college at this point in his life, no matter how many grants he got and from what Nick told him, getting involved in Student Loans were a pain that Larry wanted to avoid for his whole damn life if possible. Snapping a bit to jog his mind, trying to get any sort of reference he had to get involved in the world of the humanities the image of the Steel Samurai flashed through his mind that was right... He did play that guy in the stage show a while back didn't he? From what Edgy said about the performance it was pretty damn good from a fan's point of view so maybe he could play another hero like that? Though if he remembered right, the "samurai" TV franchise sort of died after the whole Matt Engarde incident and him being a murderer...Though if he played it right that would be a cool angle right?

"Yes, yes I think I have something here. If I can come up with the pitch and bring it to Global than I might have a chance to turn this car wreck of a life I have around! Nick should still have contact with Will Powers and the rest of the studio right?" Larry was positively giddy thinking of it, though to get things done he would need to actually have a pitch and everything else ready before he contacted his friend asking for the favor. Looking back around his apartment and seeing the various forms of artwork that he had created over the years, all of different shapes and mediums Larry cracked his knuckles some, it was time to stop wasting his potential that Mom always said he had in him. Rushing forward the thirty-five-year-old grasped onto one of his old sketchbooks and sat down on the couch. Planning things out with his tongue stuck out in concentration as he went through everything he would need for the pitch meeting. That he may or may not have in a few months.

The next day would find the bumbling man in an arts and crafts store, browsing through the shelves trying to determine what he needed to get first for this... He had a laptop so there was no need for any of that stationary stuff but he needed props and ideas for a pitch right? Tangible things along with a plot to show off to his amazing story ideas and craftsmanship! Not looking where he was going, Larry crashed into someone, falling right on his ass with a curse the young man looked up to see a short-haired blond woman on the floor in front of him who looked...Vaguely familiar. Larry himself was tempted to start flirting with this gal, see if he could get with her but something stopped him... Larry was trying to change himself for the better here and that meant not chasing after everything with girly parts! Shaking his head to clear out the thoughts, the man picked himself up and offered a hand to the woman who seemed to have spilled quite a bit of stuff.

"S-sorry about that mam, I was just focusing on a little project of mine and got lost in the art I guess. Do you need any help picking up your papers?" Larry looked over the girl who seemed to be frantically picking things up best she could. Normally the man would dive right in to help and go for the "hands touching" act but this girl seemed like the kind to get offended if he jumped in to help without getting express permission first. The blond girl seemed to shoot him a small glare before it softened when it was clear the man was being genuine in his desire to help her out.

"S-sure, just make sure you don't get anything to unorganized or I am going to spend hours tonight just trying to get everything right. Stupid Adrian stupid you should have been watching where you were going." The woman berated herself a bit as Larry leaned down on the floor to help her, attracting the young man's attention as that name brought up memories. Larry repeated the name over and over in his head as he tried to connect the dots while picking up the papers the woman spilled before it clicked.

"That's it! That's where I know you from, you're Adrian Andrews, right? I knew I recognized you from somewhere madam, man whats a business girl like you doing in an arts and crafts store?" Larry watched the girl flinch a bit at being recognized witch confused him, the man had only heard about the girl through Nick after all, and his friend always gave glowing descriptors of the woman whenever he asked about her. In fact, it might be good if he tried to ask her about making the pitch meeting and everything like that when he needed to do it!

"And what's it to you what my name is? Are you here to mock the screw-up manager of the murderer? Or perhaps the woman who got the Fey family treasure stolen by hiring a phony detective to work in security?! Go ahead and laugh it up at me."

"Um... I am Nick's best friend dude, you might know him better as Phoenix Wright I think, but that first name is way too long for me most of the times so I call him ol Nicky boy!" Larry chuckled a bit after his little joke, hoping the humor would cheer up the nervous and embarrassed wreck that was the woman standing in front of him as his words started to sink in.

"Oh, you're a friend of ...Sorry about the assumptions I made about you sir. I was simply here gathering a few materials to help with a new art gallery being opened up nearby. The artists themselves need the paints and the like to create their stuff." The blond gave Larry a shy grin, the exact kind of grin that would normally put the man on the floor trying to get her to be his... Gulping a bit Larry focused all his will power to think something else when one of the things she said rang again in his mind.

"Oh it's fine, say...Do you think you could go out for me with a coffee sometime? I actually have a few questions to ask you if you don't mind questions about ah, making a pitch meeting and ideas of a show I want to make. You seem like a good person to ask that" The brown-haired young man scratched the back of his head some while looking away from her, expecting some sort of slap on the face for bringing up painful memories when he heard a cough.

"Well, normally I would flat out refuse your idea here because of my past... Experiences with television and helping people get into that but you, you seem to be genuinely interested in entertaining others and as a friend of I have confidence you won't treat me like my previous employer did so fine. We can meet tomorrow around ten at Cafe Akechi and you can show me all you have ready and I can advise you on where to go from there, is that satisfactory Mr?" As her voice trailed off, Larry nearly jumped up for joy but held himself back to an excited, childish hop before answering her.

"Butz, my name is Larry Butz, nice to meet you, Adrian, I hope you like my show idea as much as I do!" He let out a small chuckle with a large grin on his face before collecting his items and dashing off to the cash register, the spirit of the Muses flowing through him and making him even more so determined to create his art as he envisioned it.

When he got home, Larry let out a breath before heading to the kitchen and preparing himself a large meal for the night consisting of the last of his beef, some eggs, bacon. Some toast and a couple glasses of juice before devouring it all, even past the point where he would normally stop eating because the man knew that once he started on his work he wouldn't stop until it was nearly time to meet with Adrian and he needed all the energy possible to get through this. Once the food was consumed and resting safely in his stomach the brown-haired man stood himself up and cracked his knuckles and approached his art supplies and once he first grasped some of the cloth and scissors needed for the costume everything became a blur as Larry lost himself to his creative flow like he had done when creating his masterpieces over the years. Not letting his normally clouded and immature thoughts leak into what he was doing and focusing solely on the work before him.

The middle-aged man flew through his process, rust-colored and earthy brown clothes fusing and shaping to this hands and tools while he formed the ideal costume he had in mind. It would be slim, slimmer than the Nickel Samurai's even to emphasize the new fighting style he had in mind for the Rusted Ronin, the previous warriors of Neo Olde Tokyo were heavy strikers, using overwhelming physical might and their spears to overcome any enemy in their way but...That wouldn't fit the Ronin no. He had light armor, barely any around the joints to expose the "skin" underneath to not restrict movement. Larry himself did not even bother with coming up with a weapon for the man, having a noble weapon and the like didn't fit the themes he wanted, the Ronin would be a man who fought with his body, refining that into a weapon for justice he could dispense at a moment's notice! It would also thankfully save on costs upkeeping the weapon and hopefully prevent any cases like the one from 2016 being used against him.

Once that bundle of clothing had been finished Larry turned right to his computer and brought up his word processing software, turned on some 80's tunes from his phone and started his writing process, diving straight into the screenplay he wanted to use, all while bouncing with energy and excitement, prepared to write late into the night and early in the morning to get it all done in time.

The story opens on a quiet Neo Olde Tokyo morning, with cicadas chirping in the distance, heat beating down on the people of the city while a young man walked through the city streets, his face is covered by a hood and hands clad in gloves, tying the attire together was a long black cloak that the man wore despite the obvious heat cascading down upon him. The man stalked his way to a vegetable stall, his hands motioning to the man's ripe cucumbers and leeks before forming his hand into a clear 3 for each of them. Once the things were bagged and ready, the mysterious man would then reach into the dark cloak on his back to bring out a small leather pouch, tied with a bit of linen string at the top and undoing it to bring out the few pieces of Ryo that he had to his name, just enough to purchase his food, meager as it was he could at least make some soup and pickles to last him for days on it. Suddenly, behind them all the sound of a pained cry rang out through the market, calling the attention of everyone still there.

Once turned, the people would see one of the Magistrate's lower level minions pushing around and robbing an old man, pushing him down to the ground before kicking him and laughing his ass off every and darkly, parading a cheap sword around like it was the most powerful thing in the world to the shopkeeps, all of whom just turned away in fear.

"Ahaha! See this you poor old fool! No one in the entire world has the guts to stand up to the Magistrate now that we have the Steel Samurai's apprentice on our side! No one really has the power to fight back either and if anyone did well! Hehe...I would just cut them down like the dog they would be!" The minion's taunting and laughter looked around the marketplace, staring everyone of the shopkeeper in the eyes challenging them to do anything against him. Though they once more shirked in fear.

"Y-your wrong! There is good within this city that shall stand up to you ruffians! The more you do these evil deeds, the worse you will be punished when they eventually kill you bastard!" The old man's words rang out a bit louder than the footsoldier it was half a cry of defiance, half one of help and the Mysterious stranger clenched his fist tightly as he heard it, some sense of justice beating within him wanting to go out and prove him right. He could fight against this man, he had the power to do that at least right?! Then, the soldier looked straight at him sword gleaming in the sunlight and he backed off. Shirking away from what was right once more and feeling some of his joints becoming harder to move as he did so.

"Yeah right old man... Now I am going to be taking this here food from ya! Be grateful I'm hungry or it would be your damn life instead!" With that, the villain leaned down and plucked the man's groceries from his hands. The bag was a bit smaller than even the stranger's even and the soldier walked away, letting a sense of peace come about the people of the market once more and the shoppers went about their day as normal. Ignoring the old man on the floor while he picked himself up. Only to meet the cloaked fellow on his way up, who was offering him the bag of vegetables he had just purchased.

"Oh no lad, I couldn't bear to take a bit of it. Everyone today needs to do their best to look out for themselves nowadays.." The old man's kindly demeanor shot a pang of empathy through the other man's body who just shook his head.

"N-no I insist. You need this more than I do and, I was much too cowardly to stand up to that man when it counted. You might still have had your original food if I had intervened."

"Poppycock! I would never expect a stranger to just stand for me like that out of nowhere. You were scared my boy, and no one can fault you for that. Not everyone can be the Steel Samurai after all. Though, I won't reject your gift to not be rude. Though I did manage to save one thing from him, let's say its a trade." The old man then took the bag with a smile and pressed a small brown seed into the younger man's hands before the two went their separate ways, the hooded stranger making his way to what clearly used to be a very well off and refined house. With a couple of stories, a solid stone wall and courtyard to go with it.

Though that was clearly from a time past, as now it was in disrepair, bits of the wall missing and a yard full of weeds, entering the home, the cloaked figure took off his disguise to reveal a rusted metal body and face resembling the Steel Samurai and Pink Princess. He even had the muscle definition and ways befitting a hero. Walking deeper into the house, the rusted figure passed a few pictures of a happy family. Mother and Father with their beloved child in arms, along with some older brother figure in the background, though the face of the said older brother was clearly torn out intentionally while he sat on the floor and looked at his earning from the day. A single seed.

"Hm, well I guess it's better than nothing. Maybe I can grow some sort of food thing from it, though were to put it... The yard won't do at all so I need to find a good place here." Crawling along the floor, the figure finally found what he was looking for, a loose floorboard! Peeling it back and expecting to see dirt, the man was instead greeted by an old wooden box with his name, Kanosei engraved in it. His interest piqued, the man pulled out the box to reveal the fertile dirt beneath. With a smile, the man proceeded to sow the seed down before opening the box to peer at what was inside. Taking the lid off, it revealed an old scroll with the Steel Samurai's insignia tying tit all into one rolled up piece of paper, cautiously the young man picked it up and slid the seal off, dreading what he would see.

(Insert a voice-over from Will Powers if he is available, along with a slow rendition of the classic theme.) "My son, if you are reading this. That likely means I have perished at the hands of the traitorous Nickel Samurai on the orders of the Evil Magistrate. That is regrettable, to know that I failed my most important mission of all, protecting your mother and you from harm would bring my spirit the greatest sorrow of all. As even now, your mother is hiding you away in the Dojo with hopes that the forces of the magistrate can never find you. Now, after experiencing such a hardship I would not blame thee if you decided to go into hiding. Scared for your own life as I was slain and that is normal, every man feels fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure and feel of death are all natural parts of life and I do not fault you for losing hope after growing up knowing that your father failed at the hands of the man who should have been like an older brother to you. However! Despite how far you may have fallen in your own eyes, I will always see you as a ball of potential and justice, my brightest source of hope against all the darkness within Neo Olde Tokyo." Stopping for a bit, Kanosei had to wipe a few tears from his face at reading his father's last words before he started to read further.

(Right there the music starts to swell in a building crescendo to represent the growing feeling of courage within the Ronin's soul)"I know that you can live up to your potential! My son, you may fear a lot of things but that is where true courage comes in! Face your fear, I am sure that you can become a warrior of justice that is unmatched in history! Because you are the son of the Pink Princess and Steel Samurai, heroism runs in your veins! No matter what you may think of yourself right now you can live up to that potential. Go on and defend Neo Olde Tokyo in the way that only you can! (Right there, the music stops and the scene fades with the Ronin dripping a few tears onto the scroll, unsure of what to do.

Next scene we see a bit of a repeat of the opening scene. With a man being robbed in the street, this time a bit older and the minion challenging anyone to stand up against him. Though this time when no one stands up he raises the blade and starts to bring it down on the man. Blade gleaming in the sunlight and it is just about to slay the innocent civilian

(Cue the classic Steel Samurai Theme!) Suddenly the blade is deflected off by a rusted looking arm before a fist flies out to punch out the soldier that was taunting everyone. Kanosei in his cloak again for a few moments before he sheds it in a flourish, standing proud over the defeated minion. No longer afraid of what would happen anymore! The entire crowd looks on in shock before letting out a cheer of hope and victory! The man who would have been robbed looking up to his savior.

"Can I believe my eyes? Is...Is this the return of the Samurai that once protected this city? Are you here to protect us once more Steel Samurai?" The man's voice clearly was on the verge of tears, though clearly not from sadness or despair anymore. They were filled with happiness and joy as our samurai looked down at him and shook his head.

"No, I am not the Steel Samurai, as you see I have been corroded by my cowardice and fear all these years. Ending as nothing but a rusted man, one who does not deserve the title of noble Samurai. I am...A Ronin, though one all the same here to protect the city and save it from the clutches of the Evil Magistrate once again! Neo Old Tokyo will be free of his tyranny once and for all! I am the Rusted Ronin, here to serve you all!" Throwing his hand up in the air, the crowd once more cheered. Cut to a close up of the Ronin's arm and then the audience will see a bit of the rust fleck off his skin to reveal the true iron nature of the man underneath as the Symbol for the show appears on the bottom of the screen.

"And that's where the first episode ends. Wanting to add a bit of intrigue to the audience as to what the flecks off mean and how he got to be that way. W-what do you think of it, Adrian?" Larry looked at the woman after reading out his little script and screenplay with bated breath, her blond hair blowing in a light breeze making her look practically angelic to the man while he bounced on his seat. Slightly shaking his coffee cup on the table from the vibrations.

"Hmm...It's rough to say the least, though the ideas are decently refined in the state it is. Needs some editing to be a proper script and all, needs a tad bit of fine-tuning here and there and it should be perfect for your pitch meeting . I do think this has potential to at least last a season and provide a good conclusion to the Steel Samurai's story and legacy instead of the travesty Matt left it in." She grinned at the man across from her, giggling slightly at his childlike excitement while taking the criticism in stride before he calmed down a bit.

"Thank you, um so I was wondering something. Could you help me with that refining and maybe possibly be my manager for this acting thing? My previous one was kind of my girlfriend and she dumped me...Like everyone else and I don't think she will take me back. I can pay you I promise! Not too much but enough to live on." Larry clapped his hands together and bowed before the woman closing his eyes and expecting the rejection. The same rejection he had always gotten when asking a beautiful woman like her to go into something serious with him when he was so confident in that he had something good, maybe even great.

"Maybe... I wouldn't be able to help you with that full time no, I have way too many duties at the moment to be a full-time manager but if it's only going to be one. Pretty small show, I should be able to help a bit. Give me a week and I should have your script ready for the pitch meeting. In the meantime, you need to get an audience with Global Studios for this to be even proposed properly. Also, my fee would be around one thousand at the end of the month from managing part-time." Her professional demeanor, her way of speaking portrayed one thing of her true feelings but still. Larry couldn't help but jump for joy and nodded fumbling around with his wallet for a bit to pay for his coffee before starting to dash off.

"Right! I am going to make a few calls... See if I can get that audience!" The man waved his new manager off before turning back to the direction of his apartment, a new fire to be better lit in his mind.


End file.
